Amusement device



J. J. STOCK.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION nuso 1UNE24. 1919.

1,339,299. Patented May 4, 1920.

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A TTORNEYS J. J. STOCK.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION Hus-n JUNE 24. 1919.

1,339,299; Patented May 4,1920% a SHEETSQSHEET 2.

CE- T A TTOR/VEYS J. J. STOCK.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24.1519.

1,339,299. Patented May 4, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W 1 TOR mm A A TTORNE Y8 UNITED STATES Parana OFFICE.

JOHN JACOB STOCK, OF NEW YORK, N, Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHNNY J. JONES, OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 4;, 1920.

Application filed June 24, 1919. Serial No. 306,309.

To all or), om it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. S'rooK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the ity of New York, borough of Man hattan. in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Amusement Device of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an amusement device, and aims to provide a vehicle of this character which shall be capable of evolutions which it has been heretofore impossible to perform.

in connection with amusement devices, it has been old to use what is known as a roulette wheel. This device includes simply a stationary bowl in the center of which there is mounted a highly-polished disk capable of revolving, the circumference of which varies anywhere from ten to fifty feet. Occupants place themselves as nearly as possible in'the center of this disk, and upon the same revolving they endeavor to hold themselves in place against the action of centrifugal force. lVhen they are unable to do this they are thrown off and slide into the stationary bowl. An improvement on this device has been the use of a larger disk upon which were placed vehicles having universally rotatable wheels which were stationed upon a disk, usually of much larger size than specified heretofore. sides of the bowl were made comparatively steep, so that a vehicle being thrown off by centrifugal action would slide back on to the face of the disk.

Great amusement has been derived from the use of both, and more particularly the latter form of amusement device; but it has been experienced thatthe cost of maintenance and the difiiculties of operation of the last-named device are such as to render the same impracticable from a commercial standpoint, in that the individual vehicles often carry such weight and are thrown out from the disk with such force as to badly scar the surface of the disk and the bowl, causing rats in the same, which render them useless" for subsequent operations. Further, the direction of travel and the speed of these vehicles can in no Way be controlled, for which reason it often occurs that one vehicle, usually called a tub, is thrown out with great violence from the disk simultaneously with a second tub which is sliding back on to the surface of such disk after engaglng the sloping side walls of the bowl. An inevitable collision occurs, and very often this action is of such force as to permanently weaken the tubs.

My invention contemplates the provision of a tub which shallbe capable of movement in a forward or rearward direction, rotation in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, or pivoting around one point of its circumference or around a diametrically opposite part of its circumference.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a tub which shall not be in the least dependent upon'the action of an outside machine, but which shall be entirely self-contained, even with regard to its supply of current utilized for operatingits power plant. It is tobe understood, however, that the current may be conducted to such power plant by means of any suitable exterior agency, as desired.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings as illustrating practical embodiments of my invention, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of a tub constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the mechanism employed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of the details of such mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of my apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is av sectional View taken along line 6-6 of Fig.5.

In all these various views like reference numerals designate similar parts and the reference numeral 1 indicates a tub which may be provided with shockabsorbing element, as for instance, on the order of a pneumatic casing 2, although as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 this shock absorber might readily take the form of a band 3 spaced from the outer s'urface'of the tub 1 and be held in resilient relationship thereto by means of springs 4i. p

The tub 1 is preferably provided with a central well 5 in which the operator of the tub sits upon a stool, as indicated by the reference numeral 6. By providing the central well 5, an annular space is formed, which is padded, as indicated by the refer ence numeral 7, and in which there is provided a circular seat 8 and a foot space 9 for the occupants of the tub.

The space formed by the seat 8 is preferably utilized to advantage, in that it houses storage batteries 10 which serve as a source of current for the power utilized to drive the tub. This space may also be utilized as a housing for the source of power, which preferably takes the form of an electric motor 11 of suitable H. P.

The tub I is supported by any means per mitting a universal movement thereof, which supporting means I have, by way of example, illustrated as universally-rotatable casters 12'. As a driving force for'the tub, I provide a pair of wheels 13 which frictionatlly engage the surface over which the tub is adapted to move. These wheels 13 are driven by means of shafts 14 and are supported by brackets 15. Bearings 16 may be utilized to'suitably house and retain in appliedposition the shafts 14.

The motor 1 1, which, as aforestated, may be housed within the space formed by the seat 8, may also equally well be applied to any other portion of the tub affording sufficient space. The motor is provided with a drive wheel 17 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This drive wheel engages a gear 18 keyed to a shaft 19, one end of which is mounted in a bearing 20 and the opposite end of which is supported'by bearings 21. The space between these latter bearings is occupied by a worm 22 which is adapted to drive a worm gear 23.

For the purpose of supporting the various driving elements, a pair of triple bearings 25 are mounted one to each side of the center of the underside of the tub. The triple bearing adjacent the worm gear 23 has extending through its central bearing a shaft 24. which shaft has keyed to it a worm gear 23 and a driving gear 26 adapted to engage gears 27 and 28. The gears 27 and 28 are fixed to the outer ends-of shafts which project through the two outside bearings of the triple bearings 25. which latter shafts are driven by means of a shaft 24 and its associated gear 26. The shaft 24 passes through the bearing 29, which is preferably located centrally. Secured to the inner end of each of the shafts, to the outer end of which the gears 27 and 28 are respectively connected, is the male part of a clutch 30 and 31 respectively. This part of these clutches is operated so as to be movable along their respective shafts and to engage into the female part 32 and 33 respectively. by means of any suitable conventional hand levers 34 which project upwardly through the floor of the tub and into the well 5 of the tub so as to be within easy reach of the operator of the same. This hand lever acts upon the clutches by any suitable arrangement, as, for instance, as illustrated in Fig. t, a slidable shaft 34', which is provided with forks 34" adjacent its ends, such forks engaging the clutch.

The parts 32 and 33 of the clutches are secured to shafts, which are rotatably housed in bearings 35, and to the outer ends of which there are secured bevel gears 36 which engage bevel gears 37 mounted upon the inner ends of the shafts 14.

As it would be only undue verbosity, it is considered unnecessary to describe the uppermost set of clutches and gears, as the same are identical in construction in every detail with the parts already described. It might be well, however, to call attention to the fact that the shaft 24 projects beyond the bearing 29 and has secured to its opposite end a gear 38 which meshes similarly in every respect to the manner in which the gear 26. meshes with the gears 27 and 28, and for the same purpose.

Referring now to the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, it is pointed out that although this construction embodies the use of two motors. which renders the same slightly more cumbersome, by this arrangement it is possible to eliminate almost all of the gearing heretofore described, so that the greater objection due to the provision of two motors is overcome.

Referring now more particularly to this construction, it will be seen that the parts common to both forms of tubs have been identified by similar reference numerals to those employed in connection with my preferred form of construction. It will be noted, however, that the friction wheels 13 are mounted upon shafts the inner ends of which are housed by a common bearing 11 secured to the under side of the tub 1. These shafts have also mounted upon them worm gears 42 which are acted upon by worms 4:3 driven by gears 44 upon the driving shaft of motors 4:7 which intermesh with gears 46 connected with the worms 43.

flow of current through the motors 45 is controlled by means of a pair of reversing switches 47 which will cause either or both of such motors to become stationary or to run clockwise or anti-clockwise.

In operation it will be appreciated that, referring more particularly to the structure illustrated in the first four figures of the drawings, the motors being set in operation by closing the reversing switch 48, the gears 26. 27 and 28 will all be caused to revolve, together with their respective shafts. Upon the clutch 323. 31 being disengaged, the righthand friction wheel 13 will remain stationary and the opposite friction wheel, still revolving. the tub will be caused to pivot around the stationary friction wheel in either clockwise or anti-clockwise motion. Upon the clutch 30, 32 being disengaged,

and the opposite clutch cooperating with the same friction wheel 18 being engaged, a reversal of this motion will be secured. A pivoting around the lefthand friction wheel 13 may be secured by disengaging both the clutch ill), 32 and its diametrically opposing clutch and engaging the clutch 31, 33, or its diametrically opposing clutch, to produce either a pivoting around the left-hand friction wheel 13 in a clockwise or anti-clockwise motion.

The tub will be caused to travel rearwardly by simply disengaging both clutches 30, 32 and the clutches Ell, and engaging their diametrically opposed clutches. A spinning motion in a clockwise direction may be procured by engaging the clutch 30, 32 and the clutch diametrically opposed to the clutch 31. A spinning motion in an anti-cleclnvise direction may be produced by engaging a clutch 31, and the clutch diametrically opposed to the clutch 30, 32. If desired, this reversal of motion might in many instances be secured by utilizing the reversing switch 48.

Referring to the modified construction disclosed in Figs. 5 and (5, it is pointed out that, as aforestated, this construction eliminates entirely the use of clutches; and it will be obvious that by means of the reversing switches l7 the friction wheels 13 may be caused to move synchronously forward or rearward, oppositely, in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, or that one of the friction wheels 13 may remain stationary while the opposite friction wheel may be rotated clockwise or anti-clockwise, or vice vers As al'erestated. while I have disclosed my invention as applied to a tub utilizing storage batteries as a source of energy for the motors, it is to be appreciated that any source of power, or method of transmission of current, may be employed. Also, any modification in structure might be resorted to without in the least departing from the scope. of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I desire to claim:

1. ."i n amusement device, including a tubshaped \ehicle and power means positioned at diamel rically-omoosite points adjacent the edge of the same for driving such vehicle.

Au amusement device, including a tubshaped vehicle and self-contained power means positioned at diametrically-opposite points :uljaeent the edge of the same for driving such vehicle.

it. An amusement device, including a vehiele and power means for driving such vehicle, such driving means being so arranged as to permit such vehicle to move forwardly,

rearivardly, clockwise, anti-clockwise, and in either direction around points in the edge of such. vehicle held substantially stationary, whereby to act as pivots.

l. An amusement device, including a tubshaped vehicle adapted to operate entirely indepeniilent of any guiding means, and power means for driving such vehicle.

5. in amusement device, including a tubshaped vehicle and power driving means associated with such vehicle, such driving means engaging the supporting medium upon which such vehicle is adapted to travel and being positioned at diametrically opposite points adjacent the side edges of said vehicle.

(5. An amusement device, including a tubshaped vehicle and power means for driving such vehicle, such power means being adapted to contact with the surface supporting the same and being positioned on the underside of the vehicle and at diametricallyopposite points in the circumference of the same.

'7. in amusement device, including a vehicle and power-driven means engaging the surface supporting such vehicle and being adapted to move the same, such powerdriven means being positioned on the underside of such vehicle in the center and at diametrically-opposite points of the same.

8. An an'iusement device, including a vehicle adapted to OPQIZltG entirely independent of guiding means, storage batteries within such vehicle, a motor deriving power from such storage batteries, a pair of triple bearings mounted upon the floor of the vehicle, shafts within such bearings, said shafts being adapted to be power driven by means of said motor, clutches and a reversing gear interposed between such shafts, and a pair of friction wheels mounted upon the underside of such vehicle and being adapted to be operated by means of such shafts, whereby to impart motion to such vehicle.

9. An amusement device, including a tubshaped vehicle, friction wheels associated with 'the underside of such vehicle and positioned at diametrically-opposite points in the circumference of the same, and means for rotating such wheels.

10. An amusement device, including a tubshaped vehicle, a pair of friction wheels associated with the underside of such vehicle and positioned at diametrically-opposite points in the circumference of the same, and means for rotating such wheels in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, or stopping either of the same.

JOHN JACOB STOCK. 

